Lablab purpureus—A Crop Lost for Africa?

In recent years, so-called ‘lost crops’ have been appraised in a number of reviews, among them Lablab purpureus in the context of African vegetable species. This crop cannot truly be considered ‘lost’ because worldwide more than 150 common names are applied to it. Based on a comprehensive literature review, this paper aims to put forward four theses, (i) Lablab is one of the most diverse domesticated legume species and has multiple uses. Although its largest agro-morphological diversity occurs in South Asia, its origin appears to be Africa. (ii) Crop improvement in South Asia is based on limited genetic diversity. (iii) The restricted research and development performed in Africa focuses either on improving forage or soil properties mostly through one popular cultivar, Rongai, while the available diversity of lablab in Africa might be under threat of genetic erosion. (iv) Lablab is better adapted to drought than common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) or cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), both of which have been preferred to lablab in African agricultural production systems. Lablab might offer comparable opportunities for African agriculture in the view of global change. Its wide potential for adaptation throughout eastern and southern Africa is shown with a GIS (geographic information systems) approach

Prevalence and Prognostic Significance of Preoperative Anemia in Radical Cystectomy Patients: A Multicenter Retrospective Observational Study

Background and objective: Preoperative anemia is common in patients undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer, but its prevalence and impact on outcomes remain poorly characterized across different health care settings. This study aims to assess the prevalence of preoperative anemia, evaluate its current management practices, and determine its association with postoperative and oncological outcomes in patients undergoing radical cystectomy. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 4886 patients with nonmetastatic bladder cancer who underwent radical cystectomy across 28 centers in 13 countries. Multivariable regression models identified the predictors of preoperative hemoglobin levels and postoperative blood transfusions. Survival outcomes were assessed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. Key findings and limitations: Preoperative anemia was present in 44% of women and 48% of men. Among anemic patients, 73% received no blood management interventions. Higher hemoglobin levels before transurethral resection of a bladder tumor correlated with higher levels before cystectomy and fewer postoperative blood transfusions (odds ratio: 0.98, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.97–0.99, p < 0.001). Higher preoperative hemoglobin levels were associated with lower 90-d mortality rates (hazard ratio: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.97–0.99, p < 0.001) and independently predicted reduced all-cause mortality, cancer-specific mortality, and disease relapse. Conclusions and clinical implications: Preoperative anemia is prevalent and undertreated in patients undergoing radical cystectomy, and is independently associated with adverse perioperative and oncological outcomes. This highlights the need for further research regarding the potential benefits of implementing systematic preoperative anemia management. Patient summary: This study found that low blood counts before bladder removal surgery are common, often untreated, and linked to worse outcomes. Early treatment of low blood counts before surgery could improve results for patients